September 2009
Table of Contents
Editors’ Comments (p. 5)
Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., Lorraine Ozar, & Michael James
Articles
Some Determinants of Classroom Psychosocial Environment in Australian Catholic High Schools: A Multilevel Analysis
Jeffrey P. Dorman
(pp. 7-29)
This research investigated some determinants of classroom environment in Australian Catholic high schools. The Catholic School Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CSCEQ) was used to assess seven dimensions of the classroom pyschosocial environment: student affiliation, interactions, cooperation, task orientation, order and organization, individualization, and teacher control. The sample consisted of 1,719 students from 80 classes in 20 Catholic coeducational and single-sex schools. Validation data attested to the sound structural properties of the CSCEQ. Because the data were nested (i.e., students within classes within schools), multilevel analyses were used to investigate the influence of student gender, grade, subject, and school type on students' perceptions of the classroom environment. Statistically significant associations between some of these grouping variables and some of the CSCEQ scales were evident, with gender and grade the main explanatory variables. Variance in order and organization was not explained by any of the four hypothesized grouping variables.
Educating Urban African American Children Placed At Risk: A Comparison of Two Types of Catholic Middle Schools
L. Mickey Fenzel & Janine Domingues
(pp. 30-52)
Although the number of urban Catholic schools has declined in recent years, Nativity model middle schools, first developed by the Jesuits over 35 years ago, have appeared throughout the nation to address the need for effective alternative education for urban children placed at risk. The present study compares the effectiveness of two types of high-poverty Catholic schools for 322 African American middle school students. Result show that Nativity schools are more successful than traditional Catholic schools in effecting student gains in standardized test score performance. Results also suggest that features such as small school and class size, small student-teacher ratios, and an extended academic day contribute to these gains. The quality of the school and classroom environment, as perceived by students, that contributed to the amount of engaged learning time also may have contributed to their stronger academic performance. Implications for urban schooling for African American middle school children placed at risk are discussed.
What Secondary Teachers Need in Professional Development
Lisa Lucilio
(pp. 53-75)
Most dioceses do not have well-articulated, systematic approaches to the professional development of Catholic school teachers and administrators. This article summarizes current research on effective strategies for professional development and reports on a study of one Midwestern diocese regarding the needs, perceptions, and plans of teachers and principals at the high school level.
“More than Measurable Human Products”: Catholic Educators’ Responses to the Educational Measurement Movement in the First Half of the 20th Century
Ann Marie Ryan
(pp. 76-96)
During the first half of the 20th century, Catholic educators in the United States used theological arguments both to resist and embrace the progressive educational reform effort of educational measurement. The significant expansion of Catholic schooling and the increased number of students attending them, along with increased state oversight, led to a gradual, yet uneven, acceptance of educational measurement by Catholic educators. This partial and more critical acceptance can be attributed to the diversity of Catholic schooling and the incongruity between the assumptions of educational measurement and Catholic educational beliefs. This historical case offers support for continued critique of reform movements and at the same time cautions against wholesale rejection of them. Each reform requires scrutiny with the goal of determining which will assist schools in helping students reach their fullest potential.
Hate Studies: Toward Jesuit Leadership on Curriculum Development
James M. Mohr
(pp. 97-114)
This paper examines how the academic study of hate can be understood through Catholic social justice teachings with an emphasis on the Jesuit commitment to faith and justice to allow for a critical reflection on the relationship between theory and practice. To make the connections between social justice and the study of hate, the paper begins with a description of Hate Studies and a brief overview of the Jesuit conception of social justice as it relates to higher education. Following these descriptions it is explained how Jesuits can influence the development of a curriculum for Hate Studies. The influence is reflected through the five key processes of promoting justice, human dignity, and human rights; integrating faith, scholarship, and activism; involving Catholic colleges and universities with contemporary issues; engaging in reflective practice; and transforming culture.
Book Reviews
School Commercialism: From Democratic Ideal to Market Commodity
By Alex Molnar
Reviewed by Krissy Thompson
Consuming Faith: Integrating Who We Are with What We Buy
By Tom Beaudoin
Reviewed by Erin Luby
Is this English? Race, Language, and Culture in the Classroom
By Bob Fecho
Reviewed by Meagan M. Carlevato
Literacy Leadership in Early Childhood: The Essential Guide
By Dorothy S. Strickland & Shannon Riley-Aers
Reviewed by Margaret M. O’Connor-Campbell
Teaching and Learning Outside the Box: Inspiring Imagination Across the Curriculum
Edited by Kieran Egan, Maureen Stout, & Keiichi Takaya
Reviewed by Travis Davey